Freshen up the look of your bathroom with new fixtures.

Over the years and thousands of home inspections later, we are still intrigued by the homes we see where just a little TLC would make a big difference in the sale of a home.

A little paint, new fixtures and lighting can go a long way in giving a room a fresh look.  Bathrooms in particular are a great place to start where just a few touches can really transform a tired room into looking fresh again.

Unfortunately, if you have a tiled bathroom wall, replacing the towel racks and tissue holders can seem a little daunting.  After all, drilling holes into ceramic tile is not the easiest thing to do and then, there’s always the risk of cracking the tile.

Here are five simple steps to beating back those fears and installing a new towel rack or tissue holder on tiled walls.

Here’s what you will need:

1. A new towel rack and tissue holder
2. A tape measure
3. A level
4. Strong tape
5. Silicone Caulk

Step 1

Position the rack at the most ideal location suitable for your needs.  Mark the wall.

Step 2

Take the tape measure and measure the length of the towel rack and mark the location of each support on the wall. Place your level against the marks to be sure they are even.

Be sure the towel rack is located exactly where you want it, ensuring both ease of use and its position is pleasing to the eye and not out of place.

Now, double check the size of the towel rack and measurements you made on the wall just to be sure you measured and marked correctly.

Step 3

Clean the area where the first support will be attached with denatured alcohol.  Next apply 100% silicone caulk on the back of the support and press into place on the wall.  Be sure to press firmly and position it properly to the marks previously made.  Secure the support in place with strong tape.

Allow it to cure a minimum of 12 hours.

Step 4

Clean the area where the second support will be attached with denatured alcohol.  Apply the 100% silicone caulk to the back the support.  BEFORE you press it into place, insert the towel bar into the first support and then into the second support.  NOW, press the support firmly against the wall according to the markings previously made.  It would also be a good idea to double-check the bar to be sure it is level at this point.  Use the strong tape to hold the support in place.

Allow to cure for at least 12 hours before removing the tape.

Step 5

Finish with removal of the tape and application of a thin bead of caulk around the perimeter of each support base where they touch the wall.  Smooth the caulk out with a wet finger of damp cloth.  Again, allow it to cure for at least 12 hours and you’re good to go!!

CO detectors should be replaced per the manufacturer's recommendations or every 5 years, whichever comes first.

It’s that time of year, when our heating systems and fireplaces have been getting a pretty good work out.  And it’s all the more reason to be ever vigilant for the silent killer – Carbon Monoxide (CO)!  It’s the odorless, tasteless and invisible by-product of combustion that poisons hundreds of people each year.

That said, installation of carbon monoxide detectors and their placement are very important. First and foremost, all of the manufacturer’s instructions and those of the Building and Fire Code established by the state and/or municipality within which you reside should be followed.

To summarize, here are a few guidelines to follow when installing a CO detector:

1. A CO alarm should be placed on every level in the home where a CO source exists, such as cooking appliances, fireplaces or other fossil fuel burning appliances.
2. A CO alarm should not be placed within 15 feet of fossil fuel burning appliances.
3. A CO alarm should be placed within 15 feet of a sleeping area.  No sleeping area or unit should be more than 15 feet away from a CO alarm or detector.  In other words, you may need to install more than 1 CO alarm on a floor level to ensure proper coverage for each sleeping area.
4. A CO alarm should be placed in the living area directly above an attached garage.
5. A CO alarm should be placed in the hallway leading to an attached garage.
6. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for placement, keeping in mind installation high on a wall or ceiling area is often an ideal placement location.  Try to keep at least 5-10 feet away from kitchen appliances and bathrooms.
7. In New York State, for homes constructed after 1/1/2008 each sleeping unit should have a CO alarm.
   1. They should be hardwired (not the plug-in style) to the home’s electrical source with a battery back-up.
   2. They should be interconnected so that when 1 alarm sounds, they all sound.

There is nothing more irritating than working hard at a painting project only to find the walls full of roller marks.  Don’t despair, there is a way to avoid them and with a little practice, it will all become second nature.

Follow some simple tips and you can have a professional looking paint job each and every time.

To ensure a smart looking paint job, follow these simple steps:

1. First and foremost, make sure you are using the right tools for the job.  If you buy the cheapest roller at the store, chances are the results will show it!
2. Ask the sales clerk which nap is best for the surface you are painting.   A heavier nap then needed will result in too much paint being applied to the wall while a nap that is too small will result in not enough.  Size matters.
3. Use a quality roller cover to ensure adequate film thickness is applied and the uniformity of the finish.
4. High quality paints tend to roll on more evenly due to their higher solids content and leveling properties.
5. Take some masking tape and with the sticky side apply it to the nap of the roller to remove any loose fuzzies.
6. Moisten (NOT saturate) roller covers used with latex paint and shake out all excess water.
7. Use a quality roller frame, not one with removable end caps that may mark walls.
8. Apply even pressure and don’t let paint build up at the ends of the roller. When working the paint onto the roller in the pan, it’s a good idea to run the edges of the roller in the drain portion of the pan to remove excess.
9. Begin rolling at one end of the wall near the ceiling and work down the wall in 3 or 4 foot square sections.  But don’t get so close to the ceiling that you cannot roll out the paint for an even finish.
10. Spread paint on in a zigzag “M” or “W” pattern, beginning with an upward stroke to minimize spatter
11. Without lifting the roller from the surface fill in the zigzag pattern with even parallel strokes.
12. Don’t get silly and paint your initials onto the wall, thinking you will just paint over them.  Oftentimes, you will still be able to see the ghost of your handiwork even after the paint has dried.
13. Stand back or to the side of your work and view it to be sure you have not missed any spots or developed roller marks.  If you see imperfections, roll them out while the paint is still wet.

Selling a house can feel like a balancing act.

Home Inspections are no longer just for the buyer … if you are selling your house you should really think about a pre-listing home inspection.

Read more to see what savvy sellers all across the country are doing and why to get every edge in selling their home.

Read More…

Home Safety Doesn’t Take a Holiday!

Here are three quick and painless tips to keep your home safe during the holidays.

3.)  After watching this short video, the third tip – Keep a fresh fire extinguisher in the house and make sure everyone knows where it is.

Click here to see the short video:  Christmas Tree Fire Safety

We all love the bright colors of leaves in the fall, the chill of the morning and the smell of autumn.

But I’m thinking we can all do with a little less of raking those leaves and all that goes with it.

Click here to see how we can be a little greener when it comes to the necessary evil of cleaning our yards in the fall.

As the leaves fall from trees and winter approaches, so comes some last minute maintenance outside before the snow flies.

Ever wonder why water intrusion to your basement is worse in the Spring.  I’ll bet you have always said its because its of all the snow melting.  And you would be right.

Did you ever think you could control where all that snow melt goes?  Check out this video, you will be surprised how easy it is to minimize water infiltration to your basement.